Improvement in friction-clutches



'E. REYNOLDS. FRIGTIoN-GLUTCH.

N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTUN, D C,

jlINITED; STATES PATENT EEIOEQ EDwIN REYNOLDS, OE PROVIDENCE, RHODEISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRlCTlON-CLUTCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. l 74.303, dated February29, 1876; application tiled February 3, 1876. i

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWIN REYNOLDS, of the city and county of Providence,and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and nseful Improvementsl inFriction-Clutches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, ref-y erence being had totheaccompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification.

This invention consists in a friction-clutch for revolving shaftsz orbodies, in which a reversing-sleeve made capableof slidinglongitudinally, but restrained from rotating, is I combined with afriction wheel or roller made to revolve in and around said sleeve ineccentric relation with the axis of the latter, and whereby, accordinglyas said sleeve is shifted longitudinally to press or bear on oppositesidesof the friction wheel or roller, the motion of the latter aroundits own axis is reversed. This friction wheel or roller has combinedwith it a screw, which is arranged to gear with one or more worm-wheelson 'la screw or screws fitted to operate one or .more friction clamps orshoes, by which rota-ry motion is communicated to a secondary shaft, orby which the motion of the latter is arrested, accordingly as theconnect-ion of the clutch is established or broken by theadjustment ofthe longitudinally-sliding sleeve. lnstead of the wormwheel and screw orscrews, other mechanical devices may be used, in combination with thesliding sleeve and revolving friction wheel or roller, for putting intoaction and liberating the friction clamps or shoes. A friction-clutchconstructed in accordance with this invention is or may be free from anyreadjustment of are views of certain modifications of some of thedetails.

Referring, in the first instance, to Figs.

1, 2, and 3 of the drawing, A represents a revolving driving-shaft,arranged to work in suitable bearings B O, and having secured to itsinner iend a disk or plate, D, which carries, by means of radial slidesor otherwise, friction clamps or shoes E, that, accordingly as they areworked in or out, establish or break frictional contact with a pulley,F, on a secondary shaft, G, to rotate or arrest the motion of thelatter. His what I term a reversingsleeve, arranged to slidelongitudinally in relation with or around the shaft A, but which isrestrained from rotating-fas, for instance, by connecting it in ajointed manner 'with a rock-shaft, b, which is hungin xed bearings, andprovided with `a lever, I, whereby the sleeve H may be forced toward orfrom 'the clamp-carrying plate D. This sleeve His constructed with anouter internally-beveled friction-surface, c, and with an innerexternallybeveled surface, d, both in concentric relation with the shaftA. K is a friction wheel or roller, fast on a shaft, e, which is ineccentric relation with the shaft A, and is carried by a projection orbearing on the plate-D. This which surfaces or bevels the wheel K is-made to bear on opposite sides of its axis, accordingly as the sleeve His slid in or out, and whereby a reverse motion on its own axes iscommunicated to the wheel K, as the latter is rotated in common with theshaft A'and plate D. This constitutes the primary motion for connectingand disconnecting the clutch. 0n the shaft e of the friction-wheel K isa screw, f, which gears with a worm-wheel, L, fast on ascrew orcross-spindle, M, having a righthand screw-thread, g, on its one end,and a left` hand screw-thread, h, on its opposite end. This screw M iscarried by the disk or plate D, and its threads g It are made-totitscrew boxes or nuts connected with the shoes or clamps E, whereby saidclamps are worked in or out, to establish or break frictional contactwith the pulley F, accordingly as thefriction-wheel K is put in workingcontact with the surfaces c or d by the longitudinal adjustment. of thesleeve H. When only one shoe or clamp E is used for driving by frictionlfrom but one side of the shaft A, then the screwM may be restrictedaccordingly to such one side` of the shaft, and needs only a singles`crewthread on its outer end.' Such screwv and worm-wheel mechanism,however, admits of various modications. Thus the screw f on the sh-aft eof the friction-wheel K may-gear with duplicate worm wheels L, arrangedon opposite sides ofit, and fast on parallel screws M M, provided withthreads on one or both of their ends, to establish driving friction onone or both sides of the main shaft, asillustrated in Fig.4 of thedrawing; orbut one screw, M, arranged in lateral relation with the shaftA, and a siuglewcrm-wheel, L, may be used, as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawing. These modications'are `in effect but equiva lents of the partsshown in Figs. 1, 2,and 3 of the drawing. A friction-clutch constructedas described operates, irrespectively of the `direction in which theshaft A is rotated, by

suitably shifting or sliding longitudinally'the sleeve H. lt furthermorerequires yno readjustment of parts, after being once fitted, to

compensate for wear of the frictional surfaces, and the amount `of powerthat can --be ydeveloped by frictional contact is'practically to drivethe shaft G. The clutch maybe 'coupled or`.uncoupled, when the shaft Ais not in motion, by inserting a pin or bar in holesz' in the wheel K,and rotating the wheel by hand applied to said bar. vThis wheel K may.be made of any suitableform lon its faces, and need not necessarily beconical; but it is preferably so made. Thus, saidfrictiou-wheel may bedouble-faced, or have working friction-surfaces on its opposite sides,which are not conical, and the surfaces of the sleeveA H against whichthe faces or opposite sides of the friction-wheel bear be made tocorrespond.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a friction-clutch, of thelongitudinally-adjustable but vnon-rotatiing reversing-sleeve Hfhavinganouter frictionsurface, c, andinner friction-surface d, with the4double-faced friction-wheel K, made not `only to rotate on its ownaxis, but also to revolve in eccentric relation'with Vthe non-rotatingreversing-sleeve H, oraround the axis of the latter, and between itsouter vand inner friction surfaces ed, substantially as specied.

2. The combination, with the Irotating and revolving double-facedfrictionwheel K, and longitudinally adjustable but non-rotatingreversing-sleeve H, having-outer and inner vfriction-surfaces c andd,vof the screw f,one or

